Arrangement at buildings assembled of pre-fabricated wall and roof element

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an arrangement adapted for use at buildings assembled of pre-fabricated wall and roof elements, which comprise two metal sheets with insulation therebetween, a ventilated space provided in the elements on at least one side of the insulation between the latter and the metal sheet, said spaces forming through passageways adapted to communicate with the atmosphere through openings at the ends of the elements.

States Patent 1 1 Widerby et a1.

11 3,748,803 1451 July 31,1973

[ ARRANGEMENT AT BUILDINGS ASSEMBLED OF PRE-FABRICATED WALL AND ROOFELEMENT [75] Inventors: Lennart Widerby; Stig Svensson,

both of Jonkoping, Sweden [73] Assignee: Aktiebolaget SvenskaFlaktfabriken,

Stockholm, Sweden 22 Filed: Apr. 7, 1971 211 App1.No.: 131,908

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr, 9, 1970 Sweden 4883/70 521U.S.Cl ..s2/303,52/95,52/96, 52/199 511 int. Cl. F04h 12/28 [58] FieldofSearch; 52 19s, 199, 303, 52/305, 94-96, 615, 618, 304

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,205,630 9 1965 Felix ..52303 3,427,775 2/1969 Bachrich ..52/402 2,954,727 10/1960 Katt ..52/1992,645,824 7/1953 Titsworth 521303 3,368,473 2/1968 Yoshitoshi 52/6182,251,395 8/1941 Campbell 52/618 2,477,152 7/1949 Stevenson 52/1992,318,820 S/1943 Voigt 52/303 3,123,186 3/1964 Adkinson 52/615 3,199,2618/1965 Soddy 52/618 3,221,452 12/1965 Gregoire 52/303 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 900,331 6/1945 France 52/198 907,126 3/1946 France 52/198Primary ExaminerFrank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Henry E. RaduazoAttorney-Howson & I-Iowson [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to anarrangement adapted for use at buildings assembled of pre-fabricatedwall and roof elements, which comprise two metal sheets with insulationtherebetween, a ventilated space provided in the elements on at leastone side of the insulation between the latter and the metal sheet, saidspaces forming through passageways adapted to communicate with theatmosphere through openings at the ends of the elements.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ARRANGEMENT AT BUILDINGS ASSEMBLED OFPRE-FABRICATED WALL AND ROOF ELEMENT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION elementsBuildings located in a moist environment are often subjected to athorough damping of the insulation material applied in the wall and roofconstructions. This gives rise to problems particularly at outdoormachine set rooms assembled of prefabricated elements comprising twometal sheets with insulation therebetween. One method for preventing theinsulation material from being thoroughly damped is to include thematerial in a damp-proof manner. This method, however, involves incertain cases difficulties because, for example, the moisture insulationcan be damaged during the mounting work. It is known previously, forexample through the Swedish Pat. specification No. 305,059, to providean air gap between one sheet and the insulation. Hereby, it is true,moist air is allowed to enter the insulation, but at the same time aventilation is effected which removes moisture from the space betweenthe metal sheets. In this way it has been possible to reduce themoisture problem.

The present invention has as its object to bring about a substantialimprovement of the aforementioned principle and to effect a moreeffective ventilation of all spaces in the elements. The invention ischaracterized in that the ventilated spaces of both the wall and roofelements open into a common suction chamber provided along the junctionlines between the wall and roof elements on at least two opposed sidesof the building, which suction chamber is adapted to communicate withthe atmosphere through a horizontal opening. The air stream caused bywind forces to flow through the spaces in the roof elements from thesuction chamber on one side of the building to the suction chamber onthe opposed side of the building thereby also induces air streamsthrough the spaces in the wall elements.

Expedient embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.

The invention is described in greater detail in the following, withreference to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example anembodiment of an arrangement applying the idea of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a section through a joint betweenroof and wall element,

F IG. 2 shows in a perspective view a section through the lower portionof a wall element, and

F IG. 3 shows in a perspective view distance members of insulationmaterial for maintaining the ventilated space, part of the forward metalsheet being cut away.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, 1 designates a wall element and 2 designatesa roof element. The elements comprise two metal sheets la, 1b and,respectively, 2a, 2b with insulation 10 and, respectively, 20therebetween. A ventilated space 1d and, respectively, 2d is provided inthe elements on the outside of the insulation between the insulation andthe metal sheet lb and, respectively, 2b. Said spaces form throughpassageways communicating with the atmosphere by openings 1e and,respectively, 2e at the ends of the elements. According to theinvention, the spaces 1d of the wall elements as well as the spaces 2dof the roof elements open into a common suction chamber 3 provided alongthe junction line between wall and roof elements on two opposed sides ofthe building and communicating through a horizontal opening 4 with theatmosphere. Said suction chamber comprises a space below an angular beam5 mounted above the joint between the wall and roof elements. Saidangular beam is so arranged that a horizontal gap opening 4 is formedbetween one leg 5a of the beam and the outer metal sheet 1b of the wallelements. The other beam leg 5b rests upon the upper metal sheet 2b ofthe roof element. Roofing felt 6 covering the roof elements is laidbelow the angular beam 5 so as to form a curved guide face 6a bridgingthe beam corners. The lower ends of the wall elements rest upon aperforated metal sheet 7 bent into U-section shape (FIG. 2), through theopenings 7a of which the ventilated space 1d communicates with theatmosphere. The ventilated spaces are maintained by means of distancemembers (If for wall elements), which constitute parts of the insulationmaterial used and are integral with the remaining insulation. This hasbeen achieved by milling grooves (1d for wall elements) into a plate ofinsulation material, which grooves form the aforesaid throughpassageways in the space.

The invention, of course, is not restricted to the embodiment shown, butmay be varied within the scope o the following claims.

We claim:

1. An arrangement in buildings assembled of prefabricated wall and roofelements, which comprise two imperforate planar metal sheets withinsulation therebetween, an open-ended ventilated space provided in theelements on at least one side of the insulation between the latter andthe metal sheet, said spaces forming through passageways adapted tocommunicate with the atmosphere through openings at the ends of theelements, said wall and roof elements meeting ina junction line, anangular beam provided along the junction line between wall and roofelements on at least two opposed sides of the building to provide acommon suction chamber into which the ventilated spaces of both the walland the roof elements open, said angular beam being so arranged that ahorizontal gap opening communicating with the atmosphere is formedbetween one leg of the beam and the outer surface of the wall elements,said building including a perforated metal sheet bent into U-sectionshape to support said wall elements and form a connecting channel forthe lower open ends of the ventilated spaces in said wall elements, theperforation in said U-shaped sheet providing direct access from saidchannel to the atmosphere, whereby wind forces along the planar outersurfaces of said wall elements induce a suction in said suction chamberto cause air flow inwardly through said perforated U- shapedsheet andthrough said ventilated spaces, and

roofing felt covering the roof elements and laid below the angular beamso as to form a curved guide surface bridging the corner of the beam'toimprove the induction of flow through said roof elements.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 characterized in that theventilated spaces are maintained by means of spacers constitutingintegral parts of the insulation.

I I I i

1. An arrangement in buildings assembled of pre-fabricated wall and roof elements, which comprise two imperforate planar metal sheets with insulation therebetween, an open-ended ventilated space provided in the elements on at least one side of the insulation between the latter and the metal sheet, said spaces forming through passageways adapted to communicate with the atmosphere through openings at the ends of the elements, said wall and roof elements meeting in a junction line, an angular beam provided along the junction line between wall and roof elements on at least two opposed sides of the building to provide a common suction chamber into which the ventilated spaces of both the wall and the roof elements open, said angular beam being so arranged that a horizontal gap opening communicating with the atmosphere is formed between one leg of the beam and the outer surface of the wall elements, said building including a perforated metal sheet bent into U-section shape to support said wall elements and form a connecting channel for the lower open ends of the ventilated spaces in said wall elements, the perforation in said U-shaped sheet providing direct access from said channel to the atmosphere, whereby wind forces along the planar outer surfaces of said wall elements induce a suction in said suction chamber to cause air flow inwardly through said perforated U-shaped sheet and through said ventilated spaces, and roofing felt covering the roof elements and laid below the angular beam so as to form a curved guide surface bridging the corner of the beam to improve the induction of flow through said roof elements.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1 characterized in that the ventilated spaces are maintained by means of spacers constituting integral parts of the insulation. 